(Sept 22): Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw has challenged an Umno leader to show proof that the current members of the bi-partisan panel are involved in leaking false information to foreign media.

The long-serving DAP Kepong federal lawmaker said Umno Youth exco member Armand Azha Abu Hanifah should not make up accusations without backing up his claims that PAC members had leaked information on state investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) from parliamentary documents of an ongoing probe into the debt-ridden firm by the Auditor-General.

"Give me evidence, you can't say things based on hearsay, what's the evidence?

“Give it to me. If you can't produce the evidence, you shouldn't say such things," Tan told The Malaysian Insider.

Armand Azha had wanted PAC to be dissolved, and urged both the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to probe into each of the panel's members following the publishing of information on 1MDB that appeared in reports by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

"I urge that PAC be disbanded and new members with integrity appointed, given that the current members are dubious and prefer to indulge in politics," Armand had said in a recent statement.

Despite the allegations, Tan remained unperturbed.

"Who is he? I don't know who he is, maybe if he's a MB, I will comment," Tan said.

He said PAC members were appointed by Parliament's Select Committee (PSC), chaired by speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, after being nominated by their respective parties.

"Is he saying the speaker and select committee made a mistake?"

PAC's investigation into 1MDB is currently frozen, pending appointments of new members, including its chairman, after four of them were elevated to government posts in July.

PAC had been accused of leaking information on 1MDB to WSJ, which recently reported that a US$1.4 billion (RM6.02 billion) payment from 1MDB to a subsidiary of the International Petroleum Investment Co (IPIC), was missing.

IPIC is a state investment vehicle of the United Arab Emirates.

1MDB has refuted the report and warned the US-based newspaper that it had possibly breached Malaysian laws by referring to "transcript of the proceedings", which it said, could only be presented at the PAC hearings on 1MDB.

Former PAC chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed has denied PAC members are behind the alleged leaks, and has urged Pandikar to instead investigate Parliament staff.

Pandikar has distanced himself from such claims. – The Malaysian Insider